Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-09-05


the distinction OF being the village poetess.
was wrapped in poetic contemplation.
She knew that Mrs. Downs had fallen un-
der public disapprobation because OF a
love letter that had been found by some
one, addressed to her in Mr.. Colton's
handwriting.
Other people saw the reprehensible
married flirt accepting protestations of
love from a gentleman acquaintance.
Not so, Miss Cora. This Byronic state
of affairs did not so much shock her moral
sensibilities, as it presented theme for her
muse to portray the agonies of mis-.
placed affection. Viewing the whole mat
ter simply as an abstraction, she surrep.
titiously drew out her hymn book and sly.
ly penciled on the margin:
Let the cold world deride me,
l will but love thee more,
Whatever fate betide thee
Here she stopped, the only rhyme thai
suggested itself being gore" Strug
Cling with the situation. she had JUS
changed the line, 81 will not shed thy
gore" to My heart can but adore,
when she was recalled to herself by the
sound of Mr.. Shows voice as he finished
reading the usual list of notices.
"A most painful circumstance having
arisen, that seriously affects US as com
munity, as a congregation, since it com
prises the good names of two of oul
members, | feel it duty to afford ar
opportunity for full explanation. The
congregation is invited to meet at the par
sonage tomorrow evening at eigh
O'Clock. hope that every member o
this congregation will be present"
After that it mattered little whether The
sermon was a marvel of brillancy or the
dullest disquisltion that ever bored long
suffering audience. No one paid the
slightest attention to it, except old Major
Dorr, who was so deaf that he only caught
about one word in ten, and had thu;
missed the story of the love-letter that the
school teacher had written to Mrs. Downs
After the conclusion of the services
Mrs. Cowles, Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Martin
and Mrs Jeffrey stopped in the aisle for q
moments conference.
Il shall take Beatrice Cenci out of the
school, said Mrs. Jeffrey. "No child OF
mine shall be under the instruction of a
teacher who writes love-letters to q
married woman"
And to think that Mr.. Snow should at.
tempt to cover it up and excuse it - added
Mrs. Cowles. don't know but what we
shall be obliged to withdraw from the
church. My husband thinks there is q
good deal of corruption among ministers
themselves nowadays
Certainly no one was better able to de-
tect corruption anywhere than Mr. Cowles,
if MALT the stories of his own immoral es-
capades could be relied upon. But Mrs
Cowles' friends remained discreety silent
on this point.
81 shall not allow Cora to go to the par
sonage tomorrow evening"" interposed
Mrs. Brown. | think the discussion OF
such subjects has a demoralizing effect
on young people. 1t is deplorable affair
all round"
But when the evening came Cora did
90. More than that. to her mothers
sat down by Jack Downs and his wife,
who sat alone together on the long sofa,
although great many were standing up
around the large parlors.
This was not so much from sympathy
with Mrs. Downs, as professional instinct
such as that which impels surgeon to
investigate all sorts of pathological mon
strosities. She wanted to observe for her
self the ravages of remorse, humiliation
and unhappy love, the better to finish her
poem.
But Mrs. Downs was as pretty, as gay
and as nonchelant as ever. Once or twice
she whispered behind her fan to her hus-
band and once she actually laughed, which
so outraged the sensibiltities of the more
severely virtuous matrons that they shud-
dered with horror.
Mr.. Cotton was romantic looking
young man. with disheveled hair, and a
look of general shrewdness. He had
lately come to Pine Falls as a teacher,
and now stood leaning against the mantel.
His romantic appearance, so attractive to
the ladies, was due to his hair, which he
wore long on account of his ears, they be-
ing enormously large, and an interesting
pallor which was caused by dyspepsia, and
not unhappy love as the young ladies sup
posed.
Il have here" said Mr. Snow. "a letter
which has been the theme of severe COM
ment The envelope is addressed to Mrs.
Downs. and it was picked up on the street
by Mrs. Martins little son, who took it to
his fathers grocery. The contents are in
a different penmanship. with Mr.. Cotton
name as a signature. | will ask Mr.. Col
ton to make an explanation. which will,
no doubt. be satisfactory
Satisfactory " repeated Mr.. Cowles
with more spirit than politeness, sit seems
to me that when a man writes in that
stvle to another mans wife, calling her
husband base wretch"-here he cast an
indignant glance at Jack Downs-'and
urging her to run away with him, salts
factory explanation is not an easy matter"
"You are mistaken. sir" answered Mr..
Cotton. IAN explanation in this case is
very easily made. am a member OF an
ameteur theatrical club, and | wrote out
my part at Mr.. Downs one evening. copy
ing it out of book of his. Mrs. Downs
gave me an envelope from one of her let
ters that lay on the table to put the manu-
script in. and unfortunately lost it on
my way home. | will now read the lines.
if Mr.. Cowles will look over The printed
pages and see if | read them correctly"
Shameiaced Mr.. Cowles looked on
while Mr.. Cotton read with much dramatic
effect:
Ny angel fly with me
Affair In other lands beyond the sea
We'll build home sacred to love and thee
Seorn the base wretch who in your humble
home
Prefanes the name of love-ah, be my own
And heaven Is not so high, nor earth so vast
But that its treasures at Thy feet I'll cast.